Being content

Contentment is something that many of us wrestle with. We wonder how much is enough? We look across at our neighbours and wish we had what they've got? We think that some people have got it all together - and we long for more!

The Bible reminds us to be content with what we have. This is not a ploy to make us unambitious or lazy, but rather it is just a reality check - it teaches us to count our blessings before we long for more and more.

Psalm 17:15 - "But as for me, my contentment is not in wealth but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us. And when I awake in heaven, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face-to-face."

Philippians 4:12 -  "I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want..."

Thomas a Kempis writes...."you will learn to be content with little, to be pleased with simple things, and not to complain about inconveniences."

Living in Grace
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Waterfall

Have you ever pictured God's Love as a flowing river or waterfall? If you imagine standing at the Victoria Falls (or even at the Howick Falls in the Midlands) and watching the water flow over the falls - it is a visual reminder of God's constant love. As water falls down to the pools below, so it is replaced by more water at the top - a continual cycle of life-giving water.

And so, God's love falls upon us, day in and day out. We may not notice it today, but it is still there and it will keep flowing. May we take the time to notice the love of God this week.

"You are a waterfall of unceasing Love." - Thomas a Kempis

In some translations of Thomas a Kempis' "The Imitation of Christ, the word for waterfall is actually 'Fountain'. This reminds me of the following old hymn.

"Come thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise His Name I'm fixed upon it
Name of God's redeeming love." - Robert Robinson (aged 22)

Living in grace
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Be grateful

"You only realised what you had when it's gone!"

How many times have you heard this saying before? A few, I am sure. Even though we may have heard this saying a number of times before, we still need to be reminded to be grateful. So why don't you take a moment to thank God for everyone/everything in your life - offer them all up to God in prayer.

Perhaps even send them a message of appreciation too!

"He kneeled at Jesus’ feet, so grateful. He couldn’t thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan..." - Luke 17:15-16

"I have given you everything you have and I want you to be grateful. This will check pride." - Thomas a Kempis

Living in Grace
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Lent 8 - God's care for us

"It is Your love that ... graciously upholds me, supports me in so many necessities, guards me from so many dangers, and snatches me from evils without number." - Thomas a Kempis

Have you ever stopped to consider how many times God may have protected us without us even knowing it? It is easy to ask God for the blessings and help, but we may never know (until we meet God face to face) how many dangers and evil things he helped us avoid.

God cares for us in ways beyond our understanding. When we place our lives into his hands, we surrender all the good, bad and ugly moments unto His will and purpose. Perhaps God will indeed show us a DVD of our lives when we get to heaven and God will point out every time he snatched us from potential harm. Worth thinking about I think!

Genesis 28:15 - "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Be blessed today.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Thanks to www.gracerivers.com for the photo

Your value - Lent 7

In our modern age we have all kinds of ways of evaluating things.

• If a business meets it's financial targets we consider it to be a success. 

• If a university student gets more than 75% we consider this to be a First class pass.

• If we remember enough information we can pass our Learner driver's test.

• You may make a certain sports team if you consistently play well.

But how does God evaluate us?

"Your value is not calculated by the number of visions you have, by your skill in the scriptures, or by your position in relation to others. You are most worthy if you are truly humble and full of divine love, and if you seek only my honour." - Thomas a Kempis

Remember that God sees us as his children. He loves us way beyond our wildest thoughts or imaginations. God cares!

Living in Grace
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Giving up too easily

In the next part of his reflection Thomas a Kempis records a conversation between Christ and 'The Disciple' (who could be himself or to any one of us). It starts like this:

Christ: My child, you are not yet a brave and wise lover.

Disciple: Why, Lord?

Christ: Because, on account of a slight difficulty you give up what you have undertaken and are too eager to seek consolation...

There is so much truth in this honest answer from Jesus. How many times do we fall away, or even think of giving up, when we face trials of any kind? We are prone to despair and want to throw in the towel too easily. God encourages us to push on through the troubling times and to stay committed to his ways.

"...we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." - Romans 5:3-5

So, if this is for you today, then please hang in there - God will help you to stay strong in the midst of difficult times.

Living in Grace
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Lent 5 - Lips or heart?

We all know people who good talkers, don't we? People who are good at saying the right things, but never seem to follow up with their actions. We are often 'taken in' by such people for awhile, because they seem gregarious and fun, but in the end we get frustrated by their lying lips.

God knows that there are many religious people like this - we talk the talk, but we don't seem to be able to follow up with the right actions. We promise the moon, but can't even deliver a feeble commitment to worship. Jesus spoke out against people like this:

“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." - Matthew 15:8

So, here is the challenge for us this Lent - do we honour God just with our lips or are we allowing our actions to prove our real heart?

"Some have me often enough on their lips, but they have little of me in their hearts." - Thomas a Kempis

Living in Grace
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